Custom White's Boots ... Thoughts?

[phidauex]



I'm sure this question has been answered many times but... IF anyone has alternatives to ebay to find a whites Bounty Hunter boot in a 5 or 5.5 E or EE,please let me know. This forum is awesome. A lot of great content and discussions. Thank you all and have a great day.

That is a really uncommon size, and believe me, that is coming from someone who wears a 6.5B. I did the math a while back, and men with 6.5 feet or less make less than 0.15% of the market, so we just don't have many stock offerings.

For that size, you should just go through Baker Shoe and take advantage of White's best service - a custom build. That's what I have, and I like them a lot. You can also lurk on the "whitesriver" ebay user, which is their overstock area. I have seen 5s and 6s come up, but very infrequently. Another option is to consider Wesco, who also make a lot of boots in women's sizing, which means their Factory Seconds page has boots in women's sizing. If you can translate your sizing, then most of those boots are just a smaller version of the normal boot.

Good luck!

 

[phidauex]



Is it possible to order directly through White's without going through baker's? Seems like you could call in an order but they are not set up to do online orders.

Yes, you can order straight through Whites, but it is more "old fashioned" of an experience, and they aren't as experienced with the more fashionable offerings over the phone, which is the main reason people go through Baker Shoe - they act as the intermediary to translate our fashionable requests into White's list of specific offerings.

 

[linafelt]

Is it possible to order directly through White's without going through baker's? Seems like you could call in an order but they are not set up to do online orders.

Yes, you can order straight through Whites, but it is more "old fashioned" of an experience, and they aren't as experienced with the more fashionable offerings over the phone, which is the main reason people go through Baker Shoe - they act as the intermediary to translate our fashionable requests into White's list of specific offerings.

Agree with phidauex, and would only add that if you plan on getting a block heel, then you can ask Baker's to sand the heel down at no extra cost, more or less flush to the heel, to compensate for White's notorious "overhang" on block heels. They did that on my BH's and they did a great job.

 

[Americanaaa]

Yes, you can order straight through Whites, but it is more "old fashioned" of an experience, and they aren't as experienced with the more fashionable offerings over the phone, which is the main reason people go through Baker Shoe - they act as the intermediary to translate our fashionable requests into White's list of specific offerings.

I'm just trying to find away around the two tone limit

 

[b-ewing]

Oldies but goodies

 

[trvlr472]

Thanks

I can't tell the difference between the swing last #38 and the 4811 standard smoke jumper last.

There's a difference alright. The swing last is wider up front. The Smoke Jumper is taller and has more "volume" in the tow area. I have a pair of each. Love the swing last but if you have to stuff big, heavy socks into something then the standard SJ last is the ticket. Not that it doesn't work with regular socks.

 

[trvlr472]

I'm at work right now in a pair of standard trim, cap-toe, Swing-lasted 12's & I'd say they don't look too crazy, size-wise.

I've got a pair of Classic workboots with, obviously, the Classic last which I believe is the C461 and I have a pair of swing-lasted. For the life of me I can't decide which one I like the best because they are both so nice. The classics have less arch support and the weird thing is, the swing last gained "more" arch support once they were broken in. Quite strange but true. I do lean towards the swing-last as being my favorite because I do have the "duck foot" syndrome going on here.

 

[trvlr472]

Anybody tried using orthotics or adding insole into Whites? Does it work well and how to order the size up?

I've thought the same thing becaue I'd like to get some heated insoles for work and they take up quite a bit of room from what i hear. My thought is to pick the last and boot you want and send them the insoles so they can get them fitted in there.

 

[Royteane]



I've thought the same thing becaue I'd like to get some heated insoles for work and they take up quite a bit of room from what i hear.  My thought is to pick the last and boot you want and send them the insoles so they can get them fitted in there.

I'm working with Kyle for it. Kyle has a lovely for me. Surely let you guys know if it works well. But if not... it s an absolutely 400$ junk.

 

[Americanaaa]

Oldies but goodies

standard smoke jumper last on these?

I'm getting something similar to this in burgundy cxl

 

[Americanaaa]

There's a difference alright. The swing last is wider up front. The Smoke Jumper is taller and has more "volume" in the tow area. I have a pair of each. Love the swing last but if you have to stuff big, heavy socks into something then the standard SJ last is the ticket. Not that it doesn't work with regular socks.

which one would you say has more "kick" to it between the two. as in the toe kicking upward.

 

[TH3515]

^From what I've seen, there's not much difference between the two in that respect. But the higher, more bulbuous toe on the SJ last will add some additional "kick" after some wear. I took a side view of my SJ last Farmer-Rancher to illustrate this:


You can see that the leather has adapted to my foot in the area where most of the flexing takes place but leaves a pronounced bump at the very end of the toe box. This is a soft toe boot, so that bump is not shaped by any underlying structure. It just develops all by itself.
The sole is also bent upwards a little bit further than when new. But if you want a really obvious "kick" actually built into the boot, you'd probably want the #461 last.

 

[Americanaaa]

^From what I've seen, there's not much difference between the two in that respect. But the higher, more bulbuous toe on the SJ last will add some additional "kick" after some wear. I took a side view of my SJ last Farmer-Rancher to illustrate this:


You can see that the leather has adapted to my foot in the area where most of the flexing takes place but leaves a pronounced bump at the very end of the toe box. This is a soft toe boot, so that bump is not shaped by any underlying structure. It just develops all by itself.
The sole is also bent upwards a little bit further than when new. But if you want a really obvious "kick" actually built into the boot, you'd probably want the #461 last.

thanks! those look great

 

[Chawk806]

thanks! those look great

I agree those to look great!! Very nice!

 

[Chawk806]

I bet it's very difficult to fine a broken in pair for sale since they last a life time and most guys probably just keep resoling them.